Meanwhile, combine your two types of mustard, mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar together. Taste and adjust as needed. Leave this at room temp until ready to use (If serving more than 2 hours later, chill it and set it out 1 hour before use.)

Allow the potatoes to cool until you can safely handle them. Brush off most of the salt and cut them into large chunks. I usually buy the smaller ones and quarter them.

Heat a large cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. You want it hot, but not smoking. When the pan is hot, add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom and heat till it shimmers, about 30 seconds more.

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Savannah Says...

Can I boil the potatoes instead?

Potato... potata...You can! Just be careful not to cook them into mush or they won't hold up for pan frying.

Can I cut the potatoes up before cooking?

You can but...If you do this, I suggest boiling them. You don’t want to salt roast with exposed potato. You may not get as good of a sear on them with this method either but feel free to experiment! Just be careful the potatoes are dry before you put them in hot oil.

Can I use a different mustard?

What? You don't trust me?!You can but it won’t be the same. Still delicious? Probably, but I would definitely give this recipe a go as it’s written first.

Ramblings of a Line Cook

Oh, my lord, this potato salad is it. I can hang up the apron, throw in the towel, and eat this for the rest of my life. And I will go to my grave full of potatoes and happiness. This recipe is inspired by the Italian bistro I work at in Portland Maine. They do a similar dish as a side for their pub burger and lordy, are they amazing.

What’s so special about these tots? Besides the crispy outsides, the soft insides, and the creamy, tangy, dressing coating them? I could go on… But instead, let’s talk about the technique that will get you the perfect potatoes.

I start with salt roasting some small, red potatoes. I try to make sure they’re the same size so they cook evenly. You just wash em up, toss a lot of coarse salt on them, and roast them at 400 Fahrenheit until the skins are crackly and the insides are soft. Now, what does the salt do? It pulls out moisture from the skin! It also helps provide even cooking. I use a similar technique in my Crispy Skinned Salmon.

However, if you want to boil your potatoes go right ahead! Just be careful not to boil them into mashed potatoes or you’ll have a very bad experience pan-frying them later.

Then you cool them, you chop them, and then you heat up a generous amount of oil in a pan (Let’s be real, we’re not eating potato salad to be healthy so don’t skimp!). When the oil is hot, you fry those taters! Till they are golden-brown-crunchy-crispy-good.

And then you pull out the jar of whole grain mustard that you bought. And might I just say there are too many options in the mustard aisle… It’s like picking out cereal except it’s all the same color with similar branding. It is worth the struggle in the end though, I promise you.

Well obviously you have mixed together your mustard, you're mayonnaise, a dash of sugar, and a splash of vinegar while the tots were baking and it’s now at a lovely, room temperature so it won’t cool the potatoes down too much.

You toss the hot potatoes with the mustardy-mayonnaise mixture and then you just die and go to heaven… Have I convinced you? Will you try them? Oh do please try them… Then we can all retire in a state of perpetual, potato-happiness together.